


Do You Believe In Soulmates?

by ViceRoy21



Category: LazyTown
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27013138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViceRoy21/pseuds/ViceRoy21
Summary: Do you think there is someone out there for everyone? Sportacus sure does but will Robbie feel the same way?
Relationships: Robbie Rotten/Sportacus
Comments: 34
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

Robbie grumbled as his plans were once again foiled by the flippity blue kangaroo and another of his inventions going haywire. Everyone was relatively unharmed, a few scratches and bruises but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a simple band-aid. Really, things had been going perfectly and had the candy boy not dropped his candy into the contraption, Robbie was certain this time he would have gotten rid of Sportaflop for good. The villain studied the rip in his costume with disdain, this would take forever to repair.

“Hey Sportacus, what’s that mark on your wrist?” He heard the pink girl ask the sports elf. Robbie, despite himself, inconspicuously turned his head to watch; curious about what the little pink runt was babbling about despite his reservations. He watched the little girl as she held the icelandic man’s hand, turning it this way and that as she studied the place where the man’s sweat band/gauntlet thing had been torn away by Robbie’s rouge machine.

“Ah, it is a tradition where I am from” Sportacus explained with a patient smile as he removed the intact gauntlet from his other wrist and showed the now curious children both his arms. Across both the man’s wrists was a scattering of purple and maroon stars. Surrounded by the stars was half of a face on each wrist. On the left wrist was half of a black smiling face and on the right was half of a white sad face with a single tear resting below the eye. The children awed at the marks in fascination and Robbie stiffened at the sight, no longer able to pretend he wasn’t paying attention to the sporty hero.

“It is believed by my people that everyone has a soulmate, another person in the world who shares half their soul. When a person comes of age, they visit an ancient mage who lives in the mountains. Once there the mage uses their  seiðr, a form of magic, to look into that person’s future. A symbol that represents their soulmate’s inner self is then inked onto their body” He told his gathered audience as his fingers gently brushed the marks “most find their soulmate within our homelands but a few have had to travel farther in order to locate them”.

It was quiet for a long moment as the children digested the information. Finally Stephanie spoke “Did you ever find your soulmate Sportacus?”.

The Icelandic man gave her a soft sad smile “I’m afraid not Stephanie, I have searched many places but have yet to find my other half”.

“Maybe we could help you!” Ziggy piped up. The other children spoke eagerly in agreement, each one trying to speak over the other.

“I’m afraid not children, it is a task only I can accomplish on my own” He explained, getting groans of disappointment from the kids. It had his mustache twitching in amusement “But thank you anyways, your concern for me means a lot”.

“Will you have to leave Lazytown to find them?” Pixel asked, causing the children to protest at the thought of one day losing their favorite hero.

Sportacus quieted them down and told them “As much as I would like to find my soulmate, my duty as a hero comes first. When I am no longer needed here then I shall move onto the next town that is in need of me. I am in no hurry and I am content to search for them in each town as I go”.

“But aren’t you lonely?” Stephanie asked worriedly, she didn’t like the thought of her friend being unhappy.

“Of course not, I have all of you” the blue clad man said with a big grin as he performed one of his signature moves, making the children cheer. Robbie grunted in disgust at the display. Magic, soulmates, feh, what nonsense.

“So Sportacus, do you know what the symbols mean?” Trixie asked nonchalantly “How do you know if you find your soulmate?”.

“That is an excellent question Trixie” Sportacus said with an encouraging smile “Each experience is different. Some know straight away because they have grown up knowing the other person all their life. Others who are not as lucky, have to be more thorough in their search, they have to think deeply about the meanings behind their mark and ask questions as they go. 

No two marks are the same. As for what a person’s mark means, it could be anything from the soulmate’s favorite food, favorite color, favorite hobbies, but usually it is a physical manifestation of their personality. I believe the colors on my mark represent my soulmates favorite colors, the stars could be that they love the night sky or that they simply stay up all night, I do not suggest doing something like that though because sleep is important…. The faces…. I am a little less certain on”.

“Of course Sportanerd wouldn’t know a thing about thespianism” Robbie snorted, unable to help himself from commenting as he listened. This drew the group’s attention away from the marks.

“Robbie? What’s The- thesp- anism?” Ziggy asked as he tried and failed to pronounce the strange word, causing Robbie to grimace in annoyance.

“Thes-pi-an-ism” he said again with a scowl at the mangling of the word “the art of acting, those faces on Sportadorks arms are the masks of theater, your “Soulmate” as you call them *gag* is an actor or someone in the theatrical profession… or they are just a really big fan of the theater”.

“Really?” Sportacus blinked in surprise as he looked from Robbie to his mark and back “there could not be another meaning behind these sad and happy faces? I have always thought they meant that they hide their sadness behind a smile…. I am glad that is not the case, thank you Robbie”.

“Don’t thank me you ridiculous sports elf, I just couldn’t stand by while you spread your uncultured ignorance to the younger generation” the lanky man sniffed “Plus if it will get you out of here sooner then who am I to halt progress? Soulmates, magic, bah, such nonsense; I’m leaving before you try rubbing your voodoo off onto me”.

“It is not voodoo Robbie” Sportacus tried to reason but the villain was already walking away as fast as his long lazy legs could carry him.


	2. Chapter 2

Lazytown’s laziest villain landed in his fluffy orange chair as he exited the pipe that led from his front door/hatch into his lair. He struggled a bit to push himself from the plush monstrosity but managed to succeed with much huffing and puffing. Once he was free he went over to his automatic closet, switching from the ruined disguise into his usual purple and maroon striped attire.

“Soulmates, magic, bah” the lanky man harrumphed as he switched on his instant cake machine, causing a nice big slice of purple cake to come sliding out. He picked up the piece and returned to his chair, slumping down into it with a sigh “If Sportadork wants his “soulmate” so badly he should be off chasing them instead of flippity flopping noisily all over Lazytown and disturbing the quiet”. 

He took a big bite of the sugary confectionery while he switched on his tv, smiling as his favorite soap opera began to play “seriously, anyone who believes in such nonsense like soulmates needs their head examined”. 

Despite his best efforts to sink into the tales of woe Brad was putting Crystal and Amanda through while Amanda’s husband who was his half brother laid in a coma, he couldn’t get the events from earlier out of his mind… especially the image of the marks that laid on the sports hero’s wrists. It unnerved him slightly that all of his favorite things were inked into the health nuts skin.

“You’re overthinking it Rotten” He scowled, shaking his head “it’s just a coincidence that both your favorite colors, your inability to sleep at night, and your love of all things theater show up on the loony hero’s arms”. No matter how much he tried to convince himself to ignore it, that the kangaroo was just a superstitious nutjob, images of colors and stars and theater masks still danced through his head. 

With a growl of annoyance he shut his tv off and once again fought to leave the comfortable confines of the chair. This time the chair sent him tumbling to the floor and he groaned as he laid there, sprawled out, for a few moments. He eventually struggled to his feet and marched off to his invention corner, if tv and cake couldn’t distract him then perhaps a new scheme to get rid of the flippity floppity elf could….. But what would he do this time? It seemed like he’s done every idea possible and then some. 

After an hour of futile brainstorming that led to at least three broken semi-completed inventions, four bruised and possibly broken toes from kicking said inventions, and at least 8 thrown tools that only landed about 5 inches away from the very unathletic villain…. Robbie was about ready to throw in the towel. 

He wasn’t able to come up with an original idea, everything he came up with he had already done and if Robbie Rotten was one thing, it was original; anything else was an insult to the Rotten name and his title as Lazytown’s laziest villain.

“Think, think, what is the one sure fire way of getting rid of Dorkacus Maximus?” he growled as he glared at his automatic closet and the disguises that were currently on display. The dress from the time he had disguised himself as an old woman caught his eye. Again, unbidden, this morning’s events came to mind. 

Robbie’s nose twitched as his evil genius mind started a line of thought that soon became his single greatest scheme of all time. An evil smirk tugged at the lazy man’s lips and his hands came up to rub together in the most evil way possible. “Disguise time!” he exclaimed dramatically, hurrying to his disguise creating machine.

Hours later Robbie’s new persona was complete. In his place stood a tall thin woman wearing a purple and maroon striped dress, purple 3 inch heels, long black hair that stopped just past the shoulder blades, a matching necklace and earring set that were adorned with silver stars, and a pair of silver wire framed glasses. Purple eyeshadow was applied to his eyelids and maroon lipstick lined his lips to give them a fuller look. On his head sat a large maroon sunhat. 

“If Sportaloon wants a “Soulmate” *gag* I’ll give him a soulmate. I’ll make him fall so helplessly in love with me, he’ll ignore his “hero” duties and the people of Lazytown will be so mad at him they will run him out of town. Forever! Mwahahahahaha!”. Robbie rubbed his hands together. Maroon elbow length gloves trailed up his slim arms.

“Say hello to Robin Rottswell, thespian, astronomer, and lover of all things purple and maroon” the villain struck poses in front of a full length mirror, making sure nothing looked off; he wanted this plan to go perfectly. He cleared his throat and practiced speaking in a more feminine voice.

“Dorkacus won’t know what hit him” Robbie spoke in his higher tone once he was confident he had a good voice going, he would have to keep talking with it in order to not lose it.


	3. Chapter 3

The children of Lazytown were once again out in the park playing a hard core game of baseball. It was only hard core because Sportacus had joined the children in their game and was doing his usual trick flips and somersaults.

“Watch this Sportacus! I’m going to hit it out of the park!” Trixie proclaimed.

Sportacus grinned at the young child’s spirit as he readied to pitch the ball “Go for it Trixie”.

The hero released the pitch and as it came zooming over the plate, Trixie swung and the two objects connected, making a loud cracking sound as the ball was sent soaring. 

While the game was going on, Robbie was by the tree trying to figure out the best way to introduce himself to Sportacus.

“A hero? I’ve never met a hero before, do tell me more” Robbie tried to be sultry in his high pitched voice though was having a hard time not cringing. 

Sportacus was running after Trixie’s ball when his crystal started to flash. “Someone is in trouble” he murmured to himself and blinked in surprise when he realized Trixie’s ball was heading right for a tall woman standing under a tree. “Miss. watch out!” He called to the woman as he picked up speed. He watched her turn around with a surprised look behind her wire rimmed glasses.

Robbie jerked in surprise as he heard Sportadork shout. He turned to see what was going on only to see both a ball and the hero barreling towards him. He yelped and threw up his arms when he realized he wouldn’t be able to dodge the ball in time. 

When Sportacus was close enough he lunged up and caught the ball, doing a flip over the woman’s crouched form so as not to knock her over. The children came running over, cheering over the slightly above average hero’s once again spectacular save. Sportacus quickly straightened from his crouched position and turned to the woman who was still cringing in expectation of having a ball smash into her. “It is alright Miss. I was able to grab the ball before it could hit you” He assured her in the hopes of calming her.

Robbie peeked out from behind his raised arm and glanced around for the ball that should have hit him, seeing it in the shorter man’s hand. He saw that the children had finally reached them and were praising the hero for saving the unknown person. He wanted to sneer at them and scold them but he had an act to keep up so instead he straightened himself and fussed a bit with his clothing while at the same time trying to act bashful towards the other man. 

“Oh my goodness, you saved my life; how ever can I thank you sir?” Robbie placed one hand against his chest as he looked into the other’s eyes.

Sportacus smiled, noticing the flustered state of the other; he thought it was rather cute and noticed how the eyes behind the spectacles were a pretty grey color that could have been mistaken for silver if looked at in the right light. He shook off the thought and shook his head as he said “there is no need for a thank you miss. It is my job as a hero to keep everyone safe”.

“Oh but surely there must be some way I can show you my appreciation?” Robbie insisted, suddenly thinking of something “perhaps I could get you tickets to the theater? I have connections with the man in the next city who runs the place”.

Sportacus perked up at hearing her tell him that “The theater? Are you a participant of.. Oh what was the word.. Thespianism?”.

“Oh? Why of course! The theater is my life!” Robbie claimed with a little dramatics wave of his hands and a slight pose “I happen to act on occasion and when I am not acting I love to attend plays of other well known Thespians”.

Sportacus was star struck by this information, taking in this ladies appearance more carefully. He noticed how she was dressed in shades of maroon and purple with star shaped jewelry hanging from her ears and neck. He couldn’t have possibly found his soul mate could he? It seemed so sudden and unexpected, as if fate had just dropped her at his feet with no questions asked.

“I… well perhaps I could accept this offer only on the grounds that you are to join me for the performance” Sportacus finally spoke up, suddenly unwilling to allow this opportunity to pass by.

Robbie forced his face to flush slightly to act as if the idea caught him by surprise but was not an unwelcome one “oh my… well if you insist, I would be delighted to accompany you for a night at the theater”.

During this whole exchange the children had quited down and were watching the two interact, confused and slightly surprised by the direction the conversation had gone.

“Excellent, then I shall look forward to our evening” Sportacus said with a big smile, his mustache twitching in excitement “if at any time you ever wish to call on me there is a tube next to the mailbox, you simply stick a letter inside a mail tube, drop it in and shoot it up to my ship in the sky; I will answer your letter the moment I get it”.

“You live in the sky!” Robbie did his best to try to sound interested but inside he was dying at the thought of ever being that high “oh please do tell me more”. As he said that Robbie placed his hand on Sportacus’s arm and slowly the two moved away from the children, falling into a discussion about the other’s ship and job as they walked.

“Did Sportacus just ditch us for a stranger?” Trixie asked with an incredulous frown.

“Didn’t you hear what they were talking about?” Stephanie asked her friend “They were talking about the theater, remember what Robbie said about thespianism? She was also wearing stars and the colors maroon and purple; it’s obvious she’s Sportacus’s soul mate”.

“Don’t you think this is a little too convenient? What are the chances someone like that just comes walking by almost right after Sportacus explains his soulmate to us?” Trixie asked with a huff.

“ Fourteen million, six hundred and five to one” Pixel told them. Everyone looked at him in surprise and he simply stared back at them.

“O...kay” Stephanie said slowly before turning back to Trixie “So that does mean there is a chance… even if it is a small one”.

Trixie just snorted “Well what do we do now? Sportacus still has our ball”.

“We could play basketball” Ziggy offered, which got soft murmurs of agreement from the others.

“The ball is MINE and you can’t use it!” Stingy suddenly said and ran off to go grab the ball.

“Stingy that ball is for everyone to use!” Stephanie called as she and the others ran after him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy garbanzo beans batman i did it! i present to you something that has been nibbling at my brain since October q.q Chapter four has finally made itself known!.... i wrote this all in one night give or take a few hours (i was at work) I found out my phone has google docs XD i was trying to figure out a way to write without having to bring my computer to work with me because we all know that is a disaster waiting to happen and unfortunately that is the only time my brain seems to churn out any plot (you try doing something for 8 hours with nothing but your own thoughts to occupy yourself with). I thank everyone who has patiently waited for this and any other chapters for any of my other stories quq I'm trying i swear!

Robbie didn't know how time had seemed to pass so quickly but before he knew it, date night with Sportadork was already here. 

His dress for that night was a sleeveless maroon gown with a purple chiffon shawl draped over his shoulders. His hair was done up in a stylish updo and everything else from makeup and jewelry to glasses and shoes was the same as his "first" meeting with Sportacus, the only thing missing being the sunhat. 

He was driving his car to Lazytown's square to pick up the hero since said hero didn't have a car of his own. Robbie loved his purple jaguar and was kind of sad he didn't take it out for a drive more often but that was to his advantage since Sportanerd has never seen it before. Robbie pulled up to the other man and raised an eyebrow as he took in the other's outfit for that night.

The above average hero was dressed in a tux and his hat was gone so it allowed his wavy blond hair to bounce about freely. He slipped into the car as it came to a stop and smiled at his date. "You have a very lovely car, it suits you" he told her as he buckled up "but I also think you look far more beautiful than it, everything about you is quite radiant tonight".

'Where did Sportaloon learn how to flirt!' Robbie thought incredulously 'that should be illegal'.

Okay Robbie would be lying if he said the blush on his cheeks was just from his acting. He had to glance away for a moment to remind himself of his end goal then he turned back toward the hero with a coy smile "you're quite handsome yourself tonight, that tux suits you".

Sportacus flushed and looked down at the tux he was wearing, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck "honestly I don't typically own clothing like this. Mayor Meanswell helped me to pick it out for tonight".

"Mmm I would imagine it to be quite difficult to do many heroics in a tux, they aren't exactly meant for flipping about in" Robbie snickered as he pulled the car forward and began the drive towards their night out.

"Ah… yes indeed" Sportacus mused, flushing brighter as he was reminded of his not so spectacular fail from ealiar.

Robbie couldn't help his smirk at the hero's not so subtle admission of attempting feats not meant to be attempted in such attire. "So for tonight I thought perhaps we would stop for a bite to eat before heading to the theater, it will give us time to talk and get to know each other" Robbie told Sportacus as he drove out of town.

"Oh? That sounds like a very nice idea" Sportacus smiled.

"Indeed" Robbie said in amusement as he sped down the highway. He almost wished he had his convertible but he was pretty sure if he let the top down his wig would go flying off.

"Perhaps after the theater we could go for a walk, walks under the moonlight are always enjoyable; I used to take them quite often when I was younger" Sportacus explained, his mustache twitching in excitement.

Robbie almost grimaced at that. Walking was exercise…. Walking in heels was absolute torture that he was going to absolutely regret for the next week. “Oh? That sounds like a lovely idea” he grinned to hide his grimace and gritted teeth.

The ride was mostly silent except for idle chit chat about inane things. Before long they entered the city limits and Robbie guided his car to the restaurant he had in mind. When he arrived he allowed valet to take his car and then entered the building with Sportacus. He had made reservations earlier so they were seated quickly and given menus so they could decide what to have for their evening meal.

Robbie never really ate out much and when he did it was usually take-out so this would be an experience for him, whether it was a good or bad one still remained to be seen.

“Are there any dishes that you recommend?” Sportacus asked as he read through the dishes then looked up at his date. Every time he looked at her he was struck by just how stunning she was and how familiar she seemed to him even though they had known each other only a short amount of time, it was almost as if they had known each other all their lives; was it because they were soulmates?

“Hm? Oh not really, I’ve never eaten here before” Robbie mused as he glanced through the dishes, wondering if he could get away with ordering the unhealthiest food this place had, probably not; Kooksalot would probably scold him on proper eating habits or something.

When the waiter came to take their order Robbie just decided to get a steak with a side of mashed potatoes, he could drown the potatoes in butter. He also ordered a glass of red wine, he didn’t drink often but felt maybe just for tonight he would indulge a little. When it was time for Sportacus to order he asked for the baked salmon on white rice with a small salad on the side and a glass of water.

Robbie was honestly stunned, he had expected Sportaloon to just get a big bowl of salad and be a rabbit the whole dinner. “I’m surprised you didn’t order more greens, you seem like a man who loves his health foods” Robbie commented as he idly toyed with his fork.

“Ah while I do really love fruits and vegetables I know the importance of a balanced diet, something I often tell the children” Sportacus explained with a happy grin “besides while they do give me the energy I need I still burn a lot of calories with my daily routines so I have to supplement them through other means”.

“Well you are full of surprises” Robbie mused as his glass of wine was placed on the table. He picked it up and took a sip, appreciating that it seemed to be a good wine.

“Actually I am quite predictable unfortunately” Sportacus chuckled then took a sip of his water “I exercise, I play with the children of lazytown when I am not saving someone, I eat my fruits and vegetables, and I go to bed at 8 pm every night. If you want to meet a man full of surprises then you should meet Robbie, that man will always keep you guessing”.

“Oh?” Robbie said in surprise, not expecting Sportacus to talk about him “Who is this Robbie? A friend of yours I assume”.

“Well, I would like us to be friends but Robbie unfortunately has other opinions on the matter” Sportacus sighed.

“Not the friendliest man then I take it” Robbie hummed, unsurprised that the hero wanted them to be “friends” for whatever reason.

Sportacus smiled in amusement and said “Actually he can be quite friendly if he thinks you don’t know it’s him, he often wears “disguises” to play with the children but when he is found out he claims he was only trying to get rid of me; I think he actually enjoys his time playing with the children though”.

Robbie would have bristled at this description of him if they had been in any other situation but since he couldn’t reveal himself he instead said “how do you know he isn’t actually trying to get rid of you? What if someone gets hurt because of his shenanigans? That would be terrible”.

“I’m sure it will go no further than a bruise or two, besides his games and inventions are no more harmful than any normal mischief the children get up to” Sportacus reassured her.

“If you are certain, I hate the thought of you getting hurt because of a man who carried a deep dislike for you” Robbie batted his fake eyelashes and gave the man a small pout, he really wanted to get away from this topic of conversation.

“He may be grumpy at times but he is not a bad man” Sportacus said with certainty “He is actually quite brilliant, always creating a new invention or a new disguise almost every day; that takes a rather high intelligence”.

Oh crud, Sportadork was complimenting him hard and it was taking everything possible to fight down a blush. Thankfully it was at that moment their food came, interrupting the path their conversation had headed down. Robbie took a bite of his steak the moment it was in front of him just so he could avoid talking. Huh, this steak wasn’t half bad.

Across from him Sportacus was taking a bite of his fish and giving a hum of approval over the taste. “This is a really nice place you chose, are you sure you’ve never been here before?” Sportacus asked after he swallowed.

“Oh very sure, I just read the reviews” Robbie shrugged, thinking to himself to come back here some time by himself so he could test their dessert menu. Their conversation dissolved into idle chit chat, the two going back and forth with bits of information so as to get to know each other better. Thankfully Sportacus knew nothing about Robbie so it made it easier for him to tell the hero things so he didn’t have to make up information on the spot.

By the time they were done eating it was getting close to time for the performance to start. They left the restaurant and Robbie drove them to the theater which was only a few streets away. He parked the car and the two made their way into the building. They were guided to their seats and they sat side by side, playbills in hand.

“I must confess I do not know much about theater” Sportacus told the woman next to him.

“That’s perfectly fine, you don’t have to know all about theater to still enjoy it” Robbie told him as he glanced through his bill “I always did love the phantom of the opera but they could just never get the right actors for the main roles, the phantoms obsession and madness never flows right and the actress who plays Christine can never seem to display the right emotions at the right time”.

Sportacus listened as Robbie dissolved into mumbles about wrong actors throwing off an entire performance. “Perhaps that is because you are not the one in the role?” Sportacus suggested.

Robbie startled at those words and flushes but before he could say anything the lights began to dim and a hush fell over the room; the show was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie this seems shorter than it was while i was writing it now that i look at it posted quq


	5. Chapter 5

Robbie remembers the day one of his inventions made Dorkacus lose his memory, no matter how hard Robbie had tried he couldn't seem to get the guy to sit still. That memory of a Sportacus that couldn't stop moving was the reason he was so astounded by the man now. 

Two and a half hours of sitting and watching the play and the guy was actually paying attention, not bouncing in his seat like a child on a sugar rush. Sure his knee bobbed a bit but that was honestly barely noticeable. Sportacus looked like he was actually enjoying the play.

Robbie didn't know how to feel about that, he thought the health nerd would be bored to tears but no, he was actually into it. Robbie watched as the curtain fell, listening to the applause around him and politely applauding with them. The play had been alright but once again they hadn't cast the right people for the main roles.

When everyone else began to get up and leave, Robbie did as well. He and Sportacus walked to the exit in a comfortable silence and stepped out into the cool night air. It was refreshing after the stuffy heat of sitting in a crowd.

"Shall we take that walk now or wait to return to Lazytown?" Sportacus asked with a smile, watching the moonlight make his already pale date look almost snow white; the glow she seemed to give off was transcendent and ethereal.

"There's a park nearby, we can have our walk through there before I have to bring you back home" Robbie said as he hooked his hand in the crook of Sportacus' elbow and led the way to their destination. The park he was talking about was a rather large size, with groupings of trees dotted about, a pond, and a flower lined pathway.

The two walked quietly down the path, letting the sounds of crickets fill the air. Firefly lights blinked in and out of existence in the darkness around them. 

"I had a lot of fun tonight" Sportacus said softly as he smiled at his date "I enjoy playing with the children but sometimes I do wish to do more adult things with people my own age, I suppose that is partly why I wish Robbie would consider us friends".

Robbie listened to Sportacus talk, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought. "I'm glad you enjoyed tonight as much as I have Sportacus, the moment I saw you I wanted to ask you out; honestly my offering the tickets was my attempt at trying to be subtle" Robbie told him with a small chuckle, a blush coloring his cheeks.

Sportacus laughed softly and nodded "the same thoughts had been in my head when I accepted those tickets; the moment I laid my eyes on you I felt something click… Robin, do you believe in soulmates?".

Robbie felt a cold trickle down his spine at hearing the fake name for his disguise "honestly, I don't believe in destiny or fate; nothing is set in stone, everything we accomplish is done because we wanted it badly enough to go for it…. Same thing with meeting someone we really like, destiny doesn't define if you end up with them, only your determination and dedication do".

"Hm you sound like Robbie, he doesn't believe in soul mates either" Sportacus mused.

"Then he is a man of logic and not of belief, he will only believe in what he can accomplish, not what fate tells him he is supposed to accomplish" Robbie told him.

"I think the two of you would get along really well, I will have to introduce the two of you" Sportacus said with a smile, this felt so right to him that there was no way they were not soul mates.

"We will see" Robbie hummed, glancing away. Shoot he was digging himself a way too big hole, if he didn't find a way to steer this conversation he'd never be able to back out. 

"The flowers are quite pretty in the moonlight" Sportacus commented as he glanced around, everything was bathed in moonlight so all the flowers looked like they were glowing.

"It's amazing how differently things seem when you look at them in a different way" Robbie said softly as he glanced from the flowers to Sportacus, watching how the moonlight made him seem more mello and peaceful; it was a strange contrast to his usual exuberance.

Sportacus looked at the taller figure beside him and as he looked into those eyes his earlier assumption was true, they looked like pools of shimmering silver.

"The night suits you so well, it is almost as if you are glowing" he said softly with a gentle smile as he placed his hand on top of the one resting on his arm.

Robbie's face flushed as Sportacus just seemed to keep getting more and more charming as time passed. He was supposed to be making the man fall deeply in love with him but it was backfiring and at the rate things were going it was going to end very badly for Robbie.

'Think quickly Rotten' Robbie thought in a slight panic. What he did next was really stupid but it was all his dumb brain could think of. He raised his free hand to cup Sportacus' cheek and Robbie leaned down to kiss him.

Sportacus' eyes went wide as soft lips pressed against his own, he honestly hadn't been expecting to be kissed and that it would happen after a few dates; that idea was now punted out the window with the force of a cannon. His eyes slowly slipped closed and he answered the kiss by tilting his head and participated in the amazing sensation.

Robbie's eyes had been clenched tightly when he leaned into kiss the smaller man but when he felt Sportacus joining in Robbie's eyes popped open in surprise. Oh god Sportacus was kissing him, he was kissing Sportacus; why hadn't he thought this scheme through! In the back of his mind he had the absent thought about how soft the hero's lips were.

The kiss lasted several long seconds before the two slowly parted. Robbie's cheeks had turned pink and his lips were still tingling with the ghostly sensation of a second set of lips. Sportacus was in much the same way but he had a slightly dazed look in his eyes and a goofy little smile tugging at his lips.

Robbie's eyes flicked round Sportacus' face before halting on the other's mouth when he noticed something. He couldn't stop the snort that slipped out and he raised his hand to stifle his laughter. Sportacus' dazed look turned a little confused as he watched his soul mate try to hide laughter.

"Um what is funny?" He asked, slightly nervous she was laughing about him being a bad kisser; was he a bad kisser?

"Y-your lips" Robbie snickered into his hand "th-they're looking extra pretty tonight".

"What?" Sportacus asked, even more confused. What the man didn't know was he had lipstick smudged across his lips. Oh what Robbie wouldn't give to have a camera. Instead he nabbed the handkerchief from the man's breast pocket and wiped it across Sportacus' mouth before showing it to him, still giggling.

Sportacus flushed brightly at seeing the maroon lipstick smeared across the once pristine handkerchief and he took the item from her hand, rubbing it a few more times around his mouth "o-oh… well this is embarrassing".

"Hm I think people won't mind too much seeing you with a little color on your face if they see me with you, in fact I think they may get a bit jealous" Robbie said coyly with a smirk as Sportacus turned into an embarrassed mess, it was a sight he would not soon forget. He didn't feel as flustered by the situation anymore though he was sure that as soon as he was home and out of this dress he would be an absolute mess; for right now he decided to enjoy the state the hero was in.

Oh goodness what was Sportacus supposed to do after being kissed? He had very little experience when it came to moments like this. Should he suggest a second date? Would she take it as a sign that he wanted the date to end? He didn't want this to end, not yet. He was enjoying her company far too much to want to part ways until the next date. His mustache twitched as his brain wouldn't stop spinning with thoughts.

"As much fun as this is, I think it's getting a tad late for you" Robbie said as he looked at the time "you won't be fit to save anyone tomorrow if you don't get some sleep tonight".

"You are right, I do not normally stay up so late" Sportacus sighed, a little disappointed. The two began walking back to the car and on the way they passed by a flower stall. While Robbie wasn't paying attention, Sportacus purchased a flower from the vendor and kept it out of sight.

The drive back as a quiet one, with small chit chat breaking the quiet every so often. Before long the two returned to Lazytown's square and they stepped out of the car to say their goodbyes. 

"Tonight was fun Sportacus, you really know how to show someone a good time" Robbie told the man.

"Ah but the dinner and show were your ideas, I only suggested the walk" Sportacus pointed out "I had fun as well… would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for a second date?".

"Mmm we since we both had a lovely time I don't see why not" Robbie mused, smiling at the short hero.

Sportacus smiled back and said "oh I bought this for you on our way back to the car". He showed her the purple rose he had purchased in secret. Robbie was stunned as he took the flower, it was beautiful and despite himself he felt his heart fill with a warmth that had never been there before.

He looked back up at the dorky grin on the stupidly handsome hero and leaned in to give him a second kiss. This one was short and gentle and before it could become more Robbie pulled away. "Goodnight Sportacus" Robbie said softly then slipped back into his car. Sportacus waved as the person he knew to be Robin drove away, his whole body so warm and tingly he couldn't help but do a backflip. This proved to be a bad idea as he heard a loud rip.

Robbie felt a lump settle in his throat as he parked his car and stared at the rose on his dashboard. "You're getting in too deep Rotten" he muttered to himself. He slowly picked up the rose and gave it a sniff. That warmth filled his heart again and he sighed softly, in the back of his mind niggled the little thought 'would the blue kangaroo still do things like this if he thought Robbie was his soul mate?'. 

Robbie shook off the thought, Sportadork hadn't attempted to court him like he had so readily done with Robin, he doubted the man would try even if they weren't enemies. He needed to get his mind back on the mission; run Sportacus out of Lazytown.


	6. Chapter 6

“Are you sure this is safe? Couldn’t we have gone for a picnic or something?” Robbie asked as he gripped the bar along the edge of the rink tightly.

“Oh come now, roller skating is perfectly safe” Sportacus assured his shaky date. He watched the tall woman’s legs shake as the other tried to keep their feet from slipping out from under them. Roller skating had been his idea for the next date, he had assumed she, like most people, already knew how to skate.

“I’m going to make a fool of myself” Robbie grumbled, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he gripped the railing.

“Come now, I won’t let you fall; I promise” Sportacus assured with a smile as he held his hand out to her.

Robbie looked at the man incredulously, he trusted those words about as far as he could throw Sportacus… which wasn’t far. After a long minute he finally took the hand and closed his eyes, letting go of the railing. Sportacus tugged Robbie away from the railing and pulled the taller figure to his side, making sure to have one arm around the slim waist of his date to do as he promised and not let them fall.

Robbie slowly peeked one eye open as he felt them gliding along, his legs still wobbly. He let out a whimper as both eyes flew open and he watched the world pass by. He tightened his grip on Sportacus and prayed to whatever god that would listen to not let him fall.

“Relax Robin, I will not let you fall” Sportacus spoke gently as he guided the two of them around the rink. He could feel the body pressed against his side slowly relaxing the longer they went without accident.

Robbie let the tension ease from his body as no fall seemed eminent at the moment. Of course Sportadork would be the hero and keep him safe, the man had no malicious bones in his body… stupid golden boy. After a little bit longer of going around the rink Robbie reluctantly found that he was enjoying the activity. Sure he was feeling a little out of breath because it was exercise but at least it wasn’t running or some form of sport with lots of flailing about.

“See now, not so bad; you are actually doing very good for your first time” Sportacus assured “Before you know it you will be a pro”.

“Now let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves” Robbie told the man “this is fine and all but I highly doubt I’d ever do this without you around to make sure I won’t make a fool of myself or get injured”.

Before Sportacus could deny anything like that would ever happen there was a shout from behind them.

“Can’t catch me!” squealed a voice that rapidly approached and the two adults were then shoved by a couple of children that were being rambunctious in their playing.

Robbie will never admit it but at that moment he let out a shriek so unmanly that he swears it hadn’t come from him. He felt his legs fly out from under him and he started to fall backwards. Sportacus, without thinking, hugged the taller body to his chest and allowed himself to be used as a cushion to soften the landing. Robbie had closed his eyes in anticipation for the pain of the impact so when all he felt under him was a wall of muscles he slowly opened his eyes and looked down.

He flushed as Sportacus stared up at him with a look of concern. “Are you alright?” The icelandic hero asked “You are not harmed are you?”.

“I-I’m fine, just startled” Robbie stammered as he slowly pushed himself up and sat there for a moment so his nerves could settle. Sportacus sat up as well and placed his hand on her arm. A couple people had stopped near them and were asking if they were alright, the parents of the children apologizing for their behavior. Sportacus assured them all that the two were not harmed.

“Come, let’s get off the floor and sit on a bench” Sportacus said as he pushed himself to his feet and helped Robbie up as well. The two slowly skated to the edge of the rink and stepped off, shuffling over to the nearest bench. Robbie plopped down on it with very little grace, sighing in relief.

“I swear, I saw my life flash before my eyes… it was very anticlimactic” Robbie told the hero as he sat down beside the villain.

“Oh I’m sure your life can not be that bad” Sportacus smiled and patted Robin’s hand, a woman like this had to have had the most interesting life of anyone he knew.

Robbie shook his head and sighed “believe me, it’s not something that would keep a captive audience if someone wrote about it”.

“If your life were a book I would read every word” Sportacus assured her “You are a fascinating individual and I am a very lucky man to have been able to have the pleasure of getting to know you”.

“You really need to stop being so charming” Robbie huffed, his cheeks pink from embarrassment and his heart fluttering at the words the hero was throwing about.

“If I were to do that I do not think you would find me as appealing to be around” Sportacus chuckled.

“Hm I’m sure I would find something about you that would draw my attention” Robbie mused as he reached up and gently tugged on a lock of blond hair.

“Now who is the one being charming” Sportacus mused in amusement as he reached up and took hold of the hand gripping his hair.

“Tsk you really don’t need to inflate my ego, I have enough for the both of us” Robbie smirked, letting go of the hair and tapping Sportacus on the nose. The hero’s mustache twitched and he tugged the hand a little lower so he could place a kiss against the long slim digit. Briefly he wondered why Robin always wore gloves, perhaps her hands were very delicate and it was to protect them.

Robbie watched Sportacus, his blush growing; Sportacus was beating Robbie at his own game and the man didn’t even know it. “I think I’ve had enough skating for a lifetime” Robbie said as he curled his fingers around Sportacus hand “how about we think of a different activity that doesn’t end with the both of us crashing to the floor”.

“Even if we were to crash I would still be there to catch you” Sportacus told her with a big grin “Even if I were not a hero I would never allow harm to come to you”.

Was Robbie imagining it or was his heart actually trying to beat it’s way out of his chest? Sportacus needed to stop talking before he gave Robbie a heart attack. To distract himself Robbie switched his skates for shoes, this time they weren’t heels because his feet still hadn’t forgiven him for the walk in the park.

“Come on, I’m sure we can find something a million times better than this” Robbie told Sportacus and held his hand out for the man to take. Sportacus had also slipped on his own shoes and hopped to his feet, taking the hand offered and walking with his enchanting Femme fatale out of the skating rink.

It was a beautiful spring day, the weather was pleasant and the birds were singing a happy little tune. Robbie kind of wished it was night time, he always preferred the dark to the sunlight, especially with his pale complexion that always turned him into a walking sunburn if left in the light for too long. The two walked for a good while, thinking of things they could do together. As they walked they entered a slightly more populated area. Music was being played by musicians on street corners, a few people had wares for sale, and some artists were creating art while they had an audience.

“Ah, sir and madame!” one artist called to the two and they stopped to look his way “You are such a lovely couple, you contrast so greatly yet fit together so well, please allow me to create a sketch of you!”.

Sportacus made a sound of curiosity as he stepped closer but Robbie had reservations about the idea, he really didn’t want pictures of his time as Robin being made. Robbie watched Sportacus glance over the man’s other works and sighed as he saw the intrigue on the hero’s face “Fine but let’s make this quick”.

The artist had the two pose for him until they were in a position that was just right then began to scribble away like a mad man. Robbie stared off into the distance boredly, at least it was an activity that wouldn’t end with him using Sportashortstack as an impact cushion.

“Oh come now, smile a bit” Sportacus coaxed “you have such a pretty smile”.

“Your flattery gets you nowhere” Robbie said but despite himself a blush turned his cheeks pink

“I simply state a fact, if I could I would make sure you never stopped smiling” Sportacus cajoled his prickly date.

“How are you so good at flirting? I thought this was something you don’t usually do?” Robbie mumbled as his flush darkened, ugh why was he always blushing so much?

“Hm I’m not sure really, natural talent?” Sportacus blinked up at the taller figure with such fake innocence that it may as well be a mardi gras mask.

Robbie snorted “Stop that, that look doesn’t suit you at all”.

“Oh? And what look would suit me?” Sportacus asked curiously.

“That dumb little grin you get when something excites you” Robbie grumbled “It makes your whole face light up and makes your mustache twitch”.

It was Sportacus turn to flush, surprised by the answer; it was such a simple and genuine observation “Well how about this, I will do my dumb little grin if you give one of your pretty smiles; deal?”.

Robbie’s lips twitched and he had to bite down on his lower lip for a long moment before sighing “Fine, I’ll smile for the picture”.

Just as he said, Sportacus did his dumb little grin of excitment; he didn’t even have to fake it because seeing Robin smile always made him feel happy and excited. Robbie really couldn’t hold back a small smile at the look, it was like looking at a puppy. After that it was a long silent moment full of the sound of the artists drawing and the voices of the people around them.

Robbie’s face was starting to cramp a little when the man said “I’m finished! This is my best work yet!”.

Robbie gratefully dropped the smile and stepped forward to have a look. His breath hitched and his heart clenched as he looked down at the image. He was looking at a picture of a casually dressed Sportacus with his dumb little grin standing next to a woman who was probably a foot taller than the hero. She was also dressed casually and she had a content little smile on her face.

Robbie knew it was his own face under all that makeup and that wig and those glasses but he honestly felt like he was looking at a stranger; he was looking at a picture of Sportacus and his soulmate Robin Rottswell, not of Sportacus and his nemesis Robbie Rotten.

Sportacus paid the man and the picture was put into an envelope for them. Once that was done the two continued on their way down the road, Robbie holding onto the hero’s arm.

"That man is very talented" Sportacus mused as he gently hugged the picture to his chest so as not to lose it.

"He is, he managed to capture that little twinkle you get in your eye" Robbie murmured absently, trailing his fingers up and down the arm in his hold.

"He managed to capture the beauty of your smile that always fills me with warmth every time I see it" Sportacus sighed, looking up at Robin with an expression that was so love sick it could be seen for miles; Sportacus didn't know how he managed to live so long without this magnificent being.

Robbie looked down into the hero's face and saw what he had been aiming for, Sportacus was head over heels in love with him… and he felt like absolute garbage. This was different from all his other schemes, all of the previous ones never had Robbie's heart involved and Sportacus always managed to shake off any ramifications like a duck shaking off water… if this scheme worked or failed…. Both their hearts were going to get ground into dust.

"Stop looking at me like that" he muttered as he glanced away, his teeth worrying his lower lip.

Sportacus blinked up at Robbie, noticing a change in the other's mood. "Are you alright Robin? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable".

"I…. I'm fine, my thoughts are just in a spin is all and it's messing with my mood" Robbie sighed.

"Would you like to talk about it? I'm a good listener" Sportacus offered.

The last thing Robbie wanted to do was blather anything to Sportanerd. "Have you ever felt something new and amazing but then feel like you don't deserve to feel that way?" Robbie asked evasively. 

"I… can't say that I have" Sportacus mused "is that how you feel now? Like you don't deserve these good feelings?".

"Mmm like I said, my thoughts are just in a spin and it's affecting my mood, don't mind me" Robbie tried to wave the conversation away.

"No no, if you are feeling these negative emotions then I wish to help you feel better" Sportacus told the taller figure "you deserve to always be happy and to never question whether or not you deserve to feel such a way".

"What if I've done bad things? Do bad people deserve to be happy?" Robbie asked with a frown, his mood really taking a nosedive; his depressive mood was making it hard to hold up his act.

"Everyone deserves to be happy no matter their actions… of course that's not to say that I condone bad actions but still, every person has a right to good feelings" Sportacus told Robbie.

"I'm sorry I've brought the mood down Sportacus… I have moments like this sometimes" Robbie sighed, deciding to let slip a truth to cover his moment of second guessing his scheme.

"We all have moments of sadness, you do not need to apologize" he assured her with a gentle smile "in fact I think perhaps we should end the date a little early since you are not feeling so well, we can resume this another time".

"Thank you, I promise next time I will be less mopey" Robbie said with a shake of his head.

"Just make sure to take care of yourself and to always remind yourself that you are deserving of happiness" Sportacus told the other.


	7. Chapter 7

Robbie was sitting on the bench next to the Lazytown ice cream stall. Ever since he and Sportanerd parted ways on their last date he couldn’t get the hero and his words out of his head. 

“Everyone deserves to be happy no matter what… baah he doesn’t actually mean that” Robbie mumbled then sighed and slumped further on the bench.

“Ah! Robbie! I am surprised to find you outside” the villain heard and startled up into an upright sitting position, turning to see Nerdculese flippity flopping toward him. He still cringed as the man landed really close to him, he would never get used to the man’s daring antics.

“Do you have to be flipping about in my personal bubble!” Robbie snapped with a scowl up at the health enthusiast.

“Ah I am sorry Robbie, I sometimes forget you are a little more sensitive to my actions than the children” Sportacus smiled sheepishly “It has been a few days since I have last seen you, how have you been?”.

“I’ve been great, sleeping when I want, eating all the junk food I want, not being around you” Robbie sniffed “I’ve noticed a certain lack of your noisy nonsense around town, off saving some poor schmuck in another town from bad habits?”.

Sportacus winced a little as Robbie listed off such bad habits and the mention of not being around Sportacus kind of hurt a bit but he shook it off and powered on “Oh I’m surprised you haven’t heard yet? You are usually all over everything in Lazytown… I believe I have found my soulmate!”.

Robbie had to force down the whole body cringe he felt his body attempting to do and he had to force a look of indifference as he looked up at the blue and white clad hero “Oh? Wonderful, with you off flippity flopping around this random person that means Lazytown can finally get some peace and quiet; I bet they are as much of a health nerd as you are”.

“Actually I think you would really like Robin, she has many ideals that are much the same as yours” Sportacus told the lanky man.

“So what, you can’t be buddy buddy with me so you have to go off and find a copy of me that will tolerate your noisy nonsense?” Robbie scoffed with a sneer, his mind yelling at him to shut up “If I didn’t know better I would think you were obsessed with me”.

“Obsessed?” Sportacus blinked in surprise “I’m not obsessed with you Robbie, while you and Robin do share a lot of similarities you do have differences… for one she does not make uncalled for insults using my name; I just thought you might enjoy a friendship with her because of your common interests”.

“Bah, I want no part of your soulmate nonsense” Robbie waved the man off “besides I’m far too busy, many schemes to concoct, many traps to build, many disguises to design”.

“It was just a thought Robbie, you do not have to be friends with her if that is truly what you want” Sportacus sighed and shook his head “enjoy the rest of your day Robbie”.

Robbie looked out of the corner of his eye and watched Sportacus walk away… wait walk away? He had to turn his head and watch the man fully to see that Sportacus was indeed just walking, he wasn’t flippity flipping away… was this a dream? Robbie pinched himself and winced, not a dream then. The villain shook his head and groaned as he slumped against the bench.

“I need some cake and a long nap” He mumbled then pushed himself up off the bench and walked over to the nearest hatch that hid a tunnel back to his lair. He landed in his fluffy monstrosity of a chair with an oof then pushed himself up and walked over to his cake machine. He stood there waiting as it shook and beeped then heard the ding and watched a cake covered in blue and white icing come sliding out. Robbie froze at the sight of it, his mind flashing with images of a certain health nut.

He scowled and walked away from the cake, his appetite ruined; he couldn’t even enjoy cake anymore without the hero intruding in on his thoughts. He stood in front of his workbench, looking over all the plans that were spread out across the surface. Ever since this whole soulmate business and his current scheme, he hadn’t come up with a single new plan. Was he 100% sure this was the one? Or was he just finally coming to the end of his ingenious plots and schemes?

“Maybe it’s just a creativity block?” Robbie mused as he picked up the designs for the giant robot dog that had failed. He glanced over to his disguise machine but all that came to him was a blank. It was like there was no inspiration for his wicked ways left in him. “Or maybe I’m a fool who just won’t admit what’s really wrong with me” He muttered with a sigh and he placed the blueprints back on the table.

He walked over to his disguise machine and spun it until his Robin disguise sat in front of him. He stared long and hard at his reflection in the glass. “Everything about you is a lie, you’re just another fairytale creature in a long list of make believe” he muttered as he tapped on the glass “the only thing you deserve is to live out the rest of your days alone in a cold steel bunker… happiness was never an option for you”.

He stood in absolute silence for several long minutes, staring unblinking at the dress and jewelry and wig. “One last date… then I’ll put this scheme to rest” He sighed “Robin Rottswell will disappear without a trace and Lazytown will go back to being the overly loud playground Sportacus has made it into”.

Robbie returned and walked to his work station, grabbing a blank piece of paper and a pen and he wrote an invitation for Sportacus to join him for a night of stargazing in the fields just outside of Lazytown; there was a particularly nice hill for just such a thing that Robbie tended to use. It would be a nice little last hoorah for the two of them before he had to tell the hero that the two of them just would not work out and that they should go their separate ways.

He rolled up the message and popped it into a mail canister. He made his way back up to Lazytown and he headed over to the mailbox that sat with a tube beside it. He never thought he’d ever send Lazytown’s hero a letter but here he was. He dropped the canister in the tube and yanked hard on the lever. It was difficult but he managed it and sent the letter flying. Once that was done he scurried off back to his lair so he could wallow in misery in the dark away from prying eyes.

Meanwhile Sportacus’ ship alerted him that a letter was coming his way. He hurried over to the door as he commanded it to open. He reached out and caught the canister, quickly unscrewing it again and reading over the letter sent to him. His mustache twitched in surprise when he saw that it was from Robin, asking him for a night of stargazing in the fields just outside of Lazytown. Sportacus called for his telescope and quickly looked around Lazytown but was disappointed to see that Robin was nowhere in sight. She must have left as soon as the letter was sent. 

He looked back down at the paper and smiled as butterflies did loops in his stomach and his heart beat quicker than it had ever done even while doing intensive exercise. “Tonight under the stars” he murmured, hugging the letter to his chest as he looked over at the framed drawing of the two of them. The day they had parted Robin had told him to keep the picture as she wasn’t one to hold onto sentimental items. He was secretly glad she had allowed him to keep it, it allowed him to see her at all hours of the day when they were not together.

**~~~~~~~~~**

That night Robbie sat on a blanket on the tallest hill outside of Lazytown. He had his telescope set up so he could show Sportacus certain planets that would be visible tonight. He hadn’t brought any food because everything he owned was covered in sugar and would probably kill the hero if he so much as laid his eyes on it.

Robbie heard a sound not too far off and he looked around. He saw Sportacus jogging his way up the hill because apparently the man is crazy and thinks jogging up hills is a good idea. Sportacus slowed to a stop as he reached his date and he smiled at the little set up that Robin had made for the two of them.

“You look lovely tonight” Sportacus told her as he watched the way the moon’s rays danced across her features.

“You look especially sporty tonight” Robbie mused as he looked the man’s tracksuit over.

“I heard there would be a chill in the air tonight” Sportacus said as he sat down on the blanket next to his date “I did not want something as simple as a little cold to ruin tonight”.

‘Oh if only you knew’ Robbie thought ruefully as he reached out and rested his hand on the other’s arm “Let’s make the most of tonight”.

Sportacus smiled brightly and placed his hand on hers, he didn’t know if he would be able to take his eyes off her long enough to be able to watch the stars.

“I heard there was going to be a meteor shower tonight” Robbie said softly, not letting on that he had only found out about said event after he had invited Sportacus.

“Oh really? I have never seen one before, this should be a night to remember” Sportacus mused as he glanced up at the sky then back down at Robbie.

“Then you are in for a wild ride” Robbie chuckled softly “it’s an amazing phenomenon”.

“Anything with you is an amazing phenomenon” Sportacus said softly, moving their hands so he could thread their fingers together.

Robbie looked down at their hands for a long moment then he gripped the hand and looked up at Sportacus “You’re the most amazing phenomenon that’s happened in my entire life… thank you for making every moment special Sportacus”.

The hero’s mustache twitched and his whole body felt warm and fuzzy “Thank you for allowing me to make every moment special Robin”.

Why was this so hard? Robbie felt like his heart was being torn in two… he didn’t want to give up these special moments but he knew that Sportacus would inevitably find out who was really under this dress and it would end even worse than if he ended this with them both on good terms.

A flash caught his eye and he turned his gaze up to the sky. A moment later another flash went streaking by. “Sportacus, look” Robbie said softly, a moment of peace falling over him as more meteors sped by. Sportacus looked up at the sky and watched as many balls of light went flying by. He glanced back down at Robin and looked at the expression of peace and wonder she wore on her face. He knew that this would be what he remembered most of all about this night, he couldn’t have asked for a better memory.

The two sat in silence as the meteor shower continued on until the sky one again only held the stars and moon. Robbie sighed softly as he dropped his gaze to Sportacus, the hero doing the same. “Have I mentioned how beautiful your eyes are in the moonlight?” Sportacus said with a smile.

Robbie blushed and looked down at their hands “I believe you did mention something like that on our first date”.

“I’ll never get tired of looking at them” Sportacus said “Moonlight or sunlight or even spot light, they shine like the brightest stars”.

“You’re a far too kind man with a far too big heart Sportacus” Robbie said as he brushed his thumb over the other man’s fingers. A moment later he stood and tugged Sportacus to his feet “Come have a look in the telescope, I wanted to show you a few planets that would be visible tonight”. The two walked over to the telescope and Robbie adjusted it until the first planet could be seen, then he let Sportacus have a turn.

The two men enjoyed this peaceful moment of sharing the sky, Sportacus taking a real interest in what Robbie had to say and Robbie watched Sportacus actually take in his words and not just brush them off with feigned interest like most people would do. The hour was getting late and Sportacus was starting to feel the effects of staying up late. Robbie could see that the hero was trying to stave off sleep and knew he wouldn’t succeed for too much longer.

“I think we should call it a night, you’re almost dead on your feet” Robbie said softly.

“I’m sure the more late nights we have the more my body will be accustomed to staying up” He assured his date.

“Yeah… I’m sure” Robbie murmured as he packed the telescope away and rolled up the blanket “Come on, I’ll walk you home so you don’t swerve into a light pole or something”.

“I would never…” Sportacus started to say but was cut off by a yawn “mmm okay maybe I might”.

Robbie chuckled and the two walked back to Lazytown. As they walked Robbie fiddled with the letter he had tucked away in his pocket. He was too much of a coward to say the words outright to Sportacus so he had written a goodbye letter. As the two of them reached where Sportacus usually called for his ladder, Robbie pulled out the letter and turned to Sportacus.

The villain’s eyes roamed all over the happy content face of Lazytown’s hero, the moonlight making everything stand out more. Robbie leaned in and kissed the man before he could chicken out, it would be their last one after all. Sportacus hadn’t been expecting it but he enjoyed it nonetheless. After a few minutes the two pulled away, panting softly with flushes on their cheeks.

“I wrote you something” Robbie blurted out as he lifted the letter and put it in Sportacus’ hand. “Don’t read it until morning alright?” He asked as he folded the hero’s fingers over the note.

Sportacus smiled and looked down at the letter curiously “Alright, I’ll wait till morning; have a goodnight Robin, I look forward to our next outing”.

“Yeah… So do I” Robbie said softly and let him go “Goodbye Sportacus”. The villain turned and walked away, the night wrapping around him and soon Sportacus could no longer see the tall figure. Sportacus looked down at the letter, his name written on the front. He smiled and hugged it to his chest then called out for his ladder. As soon as it was in his hand he quickly scurried up to his ship.


	8. Chapter 8

The alarm to wake Sportacus up went off right on time and the man’s eyes flashed open with an eagerness of a man in love who couldn’t wait to read a letter from his beloved. He threw the blanket to the side and flipped his way out of bed, doing his morning routine because it was important to stick to routine… or as close to routine as one could stick to while dating their soulmate.

Once everything was done he pulled the letter out from where it had been tucked away in a drawer. He smiled at the way his name was written, it was so fancy looking. He turned it over and very carefully opened the envelope. He set the envelope down and unfolded the piece of paper; he was so used to getting tube mail that an actual letter seemed special in a way. His mustache twitched happily at seeing Dear Sportacus written at the top… though as he read on his smile started to drop.

Dear Sportacus,

The times I’ve had with you have been the most magical moments of my life. I’ve never met anyone like you, someone who can make me laugh, someone who can make me smile, someone who can make me feel like the most important person in all the world. That’s how I know that we can’t keep doing this. I’m not a good person Sportacus, I never have been and despite what you’ve said about everyone deserving happiness… I know I’m not one of those people.

You’re a pure soul who radiates goodness and all the things this world needs and that’s why I know that we can’t be together, I always ruin good things in the end. I know you believe in soulmates and that there is only one person for you out there so I’m telling you now, I’m not your soulmate; anyone who is the other half of your soul could never be as bad as me. So forget about me Sportacus, keep being your joyful flippity self, keep saving the world from laziness and bad habits. I know you’ll find the person for you one day.

I get the feeling that despite my words you will attempt to come find me. That’s why I told you to wait till morning to read this letter, by the time you do I will be far away. Despite this being goodbye, know that I will never forget you and will cherish the moments we did get to have together… I do love you Sportacus and that is how I know this is the right decision, I’m a selfish person and the only good thing I can do for you is to let you go.

Goodbye Sportacus,

Robin

He doesn’t remember when it happened but some time while reading the letter Sportacus had sat down on his bed. After finishing it he didn’t know if he had enough strength to make himself stand up again. Robin thought she was a horrible person and had taken it upon herself to end what had only just started. Sportacus knew in his heart she had been the one person who would complete him… and now he would never get to see her again.

How could he possibly move on after knowing what true happiness felt like? He felt as if someone were drowning his heart in ice water. He watched as splotches began to appear on the paper and his vision began to blur. He blinked and pulled the letter away when he realized he was crying on it. Sportacus couldn’t remember the last time he had cried but now that he started he couldn’t seem to stop. It was like a dam had been broken inside of him.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Elsewhere Robbie had already been crying for some hours in his big fluffy chair under his favorite blanket. His eyes hurt, his lungs hurt, his heart hurt… it was the least he deserved. His Robin costume laid in a crumpled heap on the floor, he didn’t have the will or want to put it away in his automatic closet.

It was morning now and Sportacus had to have read the letter. Robbie wondered how the man would take it. Would he shrug it off and move on? Would he be devastated and never leave his blimp again? Would he leave Lazytown to chase after a woman that didn't exist? Robbie blew his nose on a tissue and sighed. He was just going to have to get over this and move on, there was no point in bemoaning something that wasn't even real.

He didn't feel like eating or sleeping and being in his lair was feeling kind of claustrophobic. He wiggled his way out of the chair and cast a glance at the robin costume. He grunted and scooped it all up, grabbing a duffle bag and stuffing it all inside. First order of business was to get rid of any and all reminders of this scheme gone wrong.

Robbie traveled up to town and went over to a trash can. He dropped the bag inside then dusted his hands as if wiping them of the situation. He was about to walk away when he heard the gaggle of children coming his way.

"Hi Robbie, it's been a while" pink girl called to him as she waved.

Robbie grunted and sighed, he wasn't in the mood for this "so what if it has, I'm a busy man; my life doesn't revolve around you kids".

"I didn't mean that" Stephanie frowned "what I meant was with you and Sportacus not being around as much things have gotten quieter".

"Oh yeah? How come Sportadork hasn't been hanging around you brats? Did he finally grow a brain?" Robbie asked, feigning disinterest.

"Didn't you hear? He found his soul mate, they've been hanging out a lot lately" Trixie sniffed "if you ask me I still think it's fishy how she just showed up out of nowhere".

"Not everyone is Robbie in a costume, Trixie" Stephanie sighed. Robbie stiffened slightly at those words.

"Can you brats leave me out of your imaginations please? I'd rather not have you kids thinking I'm Sportaloons soulmate" Robbie grunted.

"We'd never think that, the two of you are way too different; plus Sportacus is a good guy!" Trixie said haughtily.

"Trixie that's mean" Stephanie scolded her younger friend.

"Sporty brat is right pinky, don't go scolding her just cause she says the truth" Robbie told Stephanie who looked up at him in surprise. Now that she had a better look of him Robbie didn't look like he was doing too good.

"Are you okay Robbie?" Stephanie asked.

Robbie snorted and waved her off "that's none of your business, if you brats will excuse me i am a busy man".

Before another word could be said the tall man turned away and was out of sight in almost seconds. The children looked at each other and shrugged then Pixel suggested a game of hide and seek. Ziggy was so happy with the idea that he ended up getting his sucker stuck to a nearby trash can. He gave it a hard yank and went flying back when the sucker became dislodged. The trash can went tumbling and the lid went flying off, causing its contents to spill.

"You should be more careful Ziggy" Stephanie said as she helped the boy up then went about picking up the trash. As she did this she came across a bag. She was confused why it was in the trash, it was still in good condition.

"Hurry up pinky!" Trixie called "or we will start without you!".

"You guys go on!" Stephanie called back as she picked up the bag "I'll come find you guys later".

"Suit yourself!" Trixie said then ran off to catch up with the others.

Stephanie carried the bag over to a bench and set it down. She tugged the zipper open and peeked inside. With a frown she reached in and pulled out a dress that looked familiar. She then reached in the bag and pulled out a pair of high heels that also looked familiar. She dug inside a third time and pulled out a matching earring and necklace set with stars on them.

"This is all Robin's stuff… Why is it in the trash?" Stephanie said in confusion, growing worried "could she have been kidnapped?". 

Stephanie noticed something black in the bag and reached in, pulling out a wig "a wig? Why would she wear a wig? And her glasses are in here too... Unless she didn't want to reveal her real identity… could Trixie be right? Is this all a trick being pulled on Sportacus? I should ask uncle what to do".

Stephanie packed everything away and ran to her uncle's home, calling for him as she burst through the door.

"Goodness child, what has you in such a tizzy" mayor Meanswell asked in concern.

"Uncle I think Sportacus is in trouble" Stephanie said as she showed him the back "Robin is a fake and Sportacus thinks she's his soulmate".

"Stephanie where did you get this stuff?" The mayor asked in surprise as he looked through the bag.

"It fell out of the trash when Ziggy knocked it over, I thought maybe Robin was kidnapped but then I found the wig" She explained "Sportacus is going to be heartbroken when he finds out".

The mayor was quiet for a long moment then sighed and nodded "indeed he is, send him a letter telling him that you have something important to tell him; we will set him down and tell him gently". 

Stephanie nodded and ran off to write the letter. She never wrote so quickly in her life and in a matter of minutes the letter was shooting toward the hero's ship.

Sportacus almost didn't hear the alert for mail. His mind was in a fog and his body moved almost on autopilot. He caught the tube and stared at it for a long moment before opening it and glancing at the note. It was from Stephanie saying she needed to tell him something urgently.

"Your job as a hero comes first" he murmured and tucked the letter away. He glanced at Robin's letter again and without thinking he tucked it into his pocket. After that he had his glider come out and he rode it down to the Meanswell household. He barely knocked on the door before it was being thrown open by Stephanie and the girl was ushering him inside.

“Ah Sportacus, welcome to our home, would you like a snack?” the mayor asked.

“No thank you mayor, I’m simply here in response to Stephanie’s letter, she told me that there was something urgent she wanted to talk to me about” Sportacus told the mayor then turned to the pink loving girl “So what is so urgent Stephanie?”.

The girl bit her lip and looked between him and her uncle. The man gave her a reassuring nod and Stephanie took a deep breath before looking up at Sportacus “I have a reason to believe that Robin isn’t who she says she is”.

Sportacus froze at hearing that, staring quietly at Stephanie. This caused the girl to squirm as she glanced at her uncle again then grabbed the bag “this bag was in a trash can that got knocked over and when I looked inside I realized everything belonged to Robin”. Stephanie opened the bag and pulled out the dress, wig, and jewelry. Sportacus’ breath hitched at seeing these items, items he would never forget no matter what.

The hero reached out and took the wig, looking it over carefully. This was Robin’s hair… or whoever the person under this wig had been. He thought back to the letter, Robin saying she was a bad person and not his soulmate, that her leaving was for the best. Was the reason they left because they had gotten whatever it was they were after? Why drag Sportacus into whatever kind of scam this had been? Now not only was he heartbroken and confused but he was also angry. 

“I don’t think you should be around this person any more Sportacus, they could be up to bad things and I don’t want you getting hurt” Stephanie told the hero, placing a hand on his wrist.

Sportacus gave the girl a reassuring smile and said “you do not have to worry about me Stephanie... whoever this person is has already left”.

“Are you okay Sportacus?” Stephanie asked in concern, seeing a look in the man’s eyes she had never seen before.

“I will be” Sportacus assured her, placing his hand on top of her head.


End file.
